The District of North Saanich is looking for a long-term operator to turn its former Sandown racetrack property into food-producing farmland.
How that will unfold and how quickly is not yet known, although there are plenty of ideas for the 83-acre site on Glamorgan Road, which is in the Agricultural Land Reserve.
A request for expressions of interest closes May 3, and the district is hoping to hear from applicants with experience in agriculture and community activities.
“We are looking to gauge the interest in the broader community,” said North Saanich Mayor Geoff Orr. “There’s a huge amount of positive potential there. We just have to manage it in the best way going forward.”
North Saanich wants to see detailed plans for financing, designing, developing and operating a variety of agricultural uses in an economically viable way. The operator would be responsible for managing leases to farmers working on the land and for partnerships with local organizations.
An agreement with the district is expected to run five years, with an option to renew.
If all goes smoothly, operations could start in October, the district’s expression-of-interest document says.
As well, the district is planning to hire an agrologist to make recommendations on how to improve Sandown’s soil, manage weeds and ensure the land is ready for agriculture.
Drainage improvements are largely complete.
A racetrack was built at Sandown in the 1950s, but after many years, interest waned. The last live horse race at the track was in 2008.
North Saanich acquired the land in late 2017, and after extensive consultation, came up with several goals for the property, including providing sustainable food, respecting the site’s natural ecosystems, and helping to build stronger and healthier communities.
A 12-acre strip of the former track is being developed privately — a Canadian Tire store has opened as part of the first phase.
Half the commercial taxes generated from the private site are going into a district fund to foster agriculture. Orr said $60,000 has been designated for some Sandown costs.
A group called the Sandown Transition Team, which was hired by the district, outlined potential uses for the agricultural lands in a 2018 report.
The team’s recommendations include creating a Sandown community farm run by a non-profit society, with food production at the centre of its operations.
Ideas include a market for local farmers, an operations centre for commercial farms, public access in certain areas for community orchards, allotment gardens, demonstration pollinator gardens, a farm-retail centre and a farm school.
Team member Bernadette Greene said Sandown could play a role for people who want to get into farming but might not have access to land.
Some uses suggested aren’t allowed under Agricultural Land Reserve rules, which would have to be taken into consideration, said Greene, suggesting one idea for “down the road” is an agricultural hub to allow farmers to consolidate produce and sell it to larger vendors.
